1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to manufacturing, and in particular, to a method and apparatus for machining and cutting materials. Still more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for reducing cutter vibration during a machining operation.
2. Background
Manufacturing may involve the use of tools and/or labor to create items for use or sale. In aerospace manufacturing, these items may include, for example, without limitation, aircraft, aircraft parts, missiles, rockets, and/or spacecraft. In manufacturing various items, a number of different operations may be performed. The number of different operations may include, for example, without limitation, milling, machining, extrusion, pressing, rolling, piercing, machining, drilling, routing, cutting, and curing.
With respect to machining, a machine tool may be used with a tool such as a cutting tool to cut a workpiece to a desired geometry. The machine tool may be, without limitation, a lathe, milling machine, drill press, and/or some other type of machine tool. A machine tool may be used to perform a number of different operations. The number of different operations may include, for example, without limitation, turning, drilling, boring, milling, shaping, planning, broaching, and sawing. During turning, a cutting tool may be used to remove material from a rotating workpiece to generate a cylindrical shape. During drilling, a round hole may be created from a rotating cutting tool. During boring, a cutting tool may be used to enlarge an already formed hole in the workpiece. During milling, a rotating tool with multiple cutting edges is moved relative to the material to generate a substantially planar or substantially straight surface.
With respect to milling, a milling machine may be used to shape a workpiece. A workpiece may have a number of different layers of materials such as, but not limited to, a metal or other solid material. A milling machine may perform slot and keyway cutting, planing, drilling, and/or routing. Milling machines may comprise a spindle and milling cutter. The milling cutter may be held in the spindle and rotate on an axis. There may be many types of milling cutters such as, but not limited to, an end mill, slot drill, roughing end mill, ball nose cutter, and/or other types of milling cutters.
Milling machines may be used to cut and shape workpieces that may have different sizes, thicknesses, shapes, materials and other features with different depths. Currently, when milling a flat workpiece, a short cutter may be used. Conversely, when milling into a material with a large recess, a long cutter may be required. While cutters are in operation they experience vibrations. Vibrations may cause chatter marks and/or cutter walking. Chatter marks may be when the vibrations cause the sides of the cutter to rub against the material. Cutter walking may occur when the vibrations cause the tip of the cutter to move from the desired machining location on the material. Cutter walking and chatter marks may cause unwanted defects in the materials and may require manual correction by hand.
Furthermore, when milling different sizes and shapes of workpieces, different cutter lengths may be used. Using different length cutters causes a loss in time due to switching out different cutting tool assemblies. Furthermore, long slender cutting tools for deep recess milling may be expensive and may sometimes be custom made. These custom made cutters may be even more expensive.
With respect to drilling, a drill may be used to create holes or channels that may be cylindrical in a workpiece. A drill may be a tool with a rotating section that may hold a drill bit to drill holes. A drill bit may be a cutting tool that may be used to create holes in a workpiece. These holes may be cylindrical or non-cylindrical depending on the particular implementation. Drilling may involve drilling a channel, such as, for example, without limitation, a cylindrical hole.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to have a method and apparatus that takes into account the issues described above as well as possible other issues.